WVU Fans, Media React to Wren Baker Announcing National Basketball Coaching Search

WVU director of athletics Wren Baker didn’t wait long to announce his plans for the future of West Virginia basketball, releasing a statement about the program’s plans to embark on a national coaching search the morning after Josh Eilert’s team lost in the Big 12 Tournament. This means the end of Eilert’s tenure as head coach of the Mountaineers. While this news was inevitable, it’s now official.

Below shows some of the instant reaction from WVU fans and media about the news.

The amount of class & guts that @josheilert @WVUhoops showed this season is nothing short of amazing. Regardless of the wins & losses, the Mazey family is super proud of what he & his staff accomplished in the midst of a lot of chaos. 💛💙

— Amanda Ross Mazey (@AmandaMazey) March 12, 2024

Kudos to Josh Eilert & his @WVUhoops staff. They were thrust into an impossible situation. As @wrenbaker moves forward, this is a great job. Statewide fan support, great facilities, best hoops league in country in @Big12Conference , lot of recruiting possibilities. There’s…

— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) March 13, 2024

Look, promoting Josh Eilert was the only true option last summer based on the atrocious timing of the end of Bob Huggins’ tenure. He would never have been the head coach of WVU basketball if not for the drama that preceded his ascension to the job. He admittedly was learning on…

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) March 13, 2024

So many thoughts on the #WVU basketball situation and the job itself.

First, thank you to Josh Eilert. You coached, you worked, never blamed or put your head down. Thanks for being a Mountaineer.

— Jonathan Martin (@JonathanKMartin) March 13, 2024

It’s wild that I am about to turn 35 and this is the second (actual) coaching search WVU has had in basketball in my lifetime.

Talk about stability (pretending 2023-24 didn’t happen)

— A (@aj_defazio) March 13, 2024

The WVU basketball season was a disaster but going with an interim coach instead of searching and hiring one after firing Huggins was the right move.

Imagine if they rushed a search then had this season. https://t.co/AuZj1AxYRj

— Logan Carney (@Media_Carnival) March 13, 2024

Well. The national search is on for the next mens basketball coach at WVU. It hard to put TOO much on Eilert given the hand he was dealt, but we appreciate the year he put in. Now the question is:

WHO?

— EertoEarpodcast (@eertoearpodcast) March 13, 2024